Toledo

Toledo--lots of old Jewish stuff
Escalators of Doom
Trinkets Galore
Did someone say "Arabic influence"--yes I think they did


Saturday was the second trip with the program (me, Jennifer, Serafin the prof, and Gabi) and we went to Toledo. This was a beautiful 2-hour drive south over one of the main mountain ranges of Spain and it really reminded me of crossing the Cascades and gave great vantage points of the countryside. Also, since this is Spain, there were castles haphazardly strewn about the countryside like k-nex toys on my carpet, a big one here, a broken one there, a small group plotting together on that ridge, all over the place:


One of the first things I noticed about the ancient Visigothic and Arabic capital of the Iberian Peninsula were its stupendous escalators. That's right, outdoor make sure you don't get your shoelaces stuck escalators that schlep fat American tourists from the valley floor about 200-400 vertical feet up to the city's mesa.



You also notice how bloody old everything is, a perception which is augmented by the presence of an eminent historian giving you a personal tour (he also looks like the world's most interesting man) (see group picture)


I won't bore you with the history, but Jews were a big deal here and built one of the best Synagogue of all time called La Sinagoga del Transito. In typical fashion the Christians eventually kicked them out and were so impressed with the wall decorations of their 'new' church, they whitewashed it and called it Our Lady of the White. It has since been restored and houses one of the best collections of everything Jewish, and it just plain beautiful. The highlights here are the windows with Moorish latticework and Hebrew carved around the ceiling:

Of course there was also a vibrant tourist section with lots and lots and lots of swords, armor, letter openers, earrings, just about everything made from metal was on sale there.

We ended our day with a glorious vista of the town and a group photo courtesy of the bus driver:

Teaching English

• people here want to learn English
• many have a fairly strong background
• but pronunciation is terrible

To become a police inspector you need to speak at least Spanish and one other language, usually English. This means that a native speaker of English is a great friend to have! Over the past couple of weeks I have spent several nights with some of the police students just speaking English slowly and clearly and correcting their pronunciation. The most recent guy is about fifty and lives in Madrid, as a thanks he gave me a CD of Spanish classic rock/grateful dead style music, it’s pretty cool!

I thought you might be amused by what needs to be written down/explained using writing in the following pictures.
Note:

• multiple instances of B/V pronunciation problems
• that fat man is actually a diagram of Madrid neighborhoods
• detailed explanation of money-laundering
• ZZ-top

• 

Laundry Day!

That's right, 2 weeks in I have finally decided to do laundry. 1 washer is free, 1 costs money, and so does the dryer. So what does miser Rob do? Wash in the free washer, and then this:

"Do ya know what we need, man? Some rope"

Siesta update- Week 1

• All’s well
• Classes are pretty easy so far, including the class in which I am the living embodiment of the subject matter (English)
• Awesome professor
• Making friends, but still looking for more
• The other Americans
• Trip to Segovia was fascinating
• Generally lots of time on my hands.

I have been remiss in updating, but in my defense I haven’t had anything better to do? Things are going well here in Spain; the weather is perfect with clear skies but not too hot. Food is quote good and a nice variety of weird/different stuff, everything from weinerschintzel to calamari en su tinto (squid cooked in its own ink [which I did not eat]).

So here is the run down on my 4 classes:
Spanish: me, Jennifer and 12 Chinese kids. A great professor and generally a pretty good class all round, all the rolled 'r's seem to be eluding most of the class for some reason...

English in the real world: this is my favorite class, it’s an elective to learn about global languages especially English and their ramifications. What is especially fascinating about this class is that while the Spanish discuss the good and bad aspects of having English as a global language, they have to Americans sitting in the room. I am a living embodiment of the subject, and as such have a strange relationship with the professor. The class is taught in English, but in an accent so thick I can barely understand. So in some ways I know more than the professor!

Confluence of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: A fascinating class with only me and Jennifer. So far we have made it to visigothic Spain (600s) and are steadily working forward. On a side note it is with this prof that we visited Segovia and will visit Toledo in a week.

History of modern/contemporary Spain: To those of you who have read this far, here is a piece of audience participation. Write down on a sheet of paper or just think in your head what year’s modern/contemporary history includes. Here is some blank space to think about it









You are wrong, so much more wrong than you can imagine. It’s just like what eddy Izard said, Europe is where the history comes from. Modern Spain is from 1492-1789 (reconquista to French revolution) and 'contemporary' is from 1789-today. So we have a lot to cover but it is also with Serafin (the same professor) who is quite nice and speaks clearly. Even better there are only 5 people in the class, and because this is Spain only 3 showed up (including me and Jenifer).

After our first day of this class I was at the window pointing out a building to Jennifer and I asked Serafin about it, he started to describe it and then said the Spanish equivalent of 'screw it, let’s just go see it'. So we hopped in his car and drove 15 minutes out to the sanctuary of the virgin sonsolas. Needless to say it was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a professor.

I'm making friends, some with the members of the police academy, others with a very few university students but most of all with the 4 American language helpers that just arrived in Avila. Spent the weekend nights with them and cheap wine! (and I mean cheap and good, this is Spain where 1.5 euro gets you a $15 bottle).

And finally, Segovia. Famous for its Roman Aqueduct (which merely confirms my running thesis 'that damn those guys knew how to build') it also has an incredibly rich history of a Jewish and Moorish populations as well as beautifully decorated walls and an awesome royal castle. Here are a few pictures I took from our time there:

First Weekend-Salamanca and a Bar!

• a day trip by train to Salamanka with Jennifer
• my first night out-dinner an a drink
• just how weak is the dollar, and just how expensive is a tiny fanta?
  
• massive misconceptions about america (its like american pie and shawshank redemption right? thats right, shawshank redemption)

My confidence grows that i can make it here as the days go by, especially after today. Jennifer (candice's chosen name) and I made a day trip to the sun-drenched tan city of Salamanka, home to a massive university and a cathedral that puts the 'god' in the exclamation 'oh god that's big'. We started the day at a very unspanish 7 in the morning and purchased train tickets, with my spanish working well enough to even make a joke or two with the cashier lady! Enough has been said on amazingness of spanish train system, but lets just say it kicks amtracks booty.

Salamanka is a wonderfully condensed city, and we chose this day to visit because they are having their week of festivals honoring their patron saintess. Apparently in spain, honoring someone who died a horrible death for their beliefs includes gay french acrobats and washed up American rock stars (we only saw the former). On our way from the station into town towards the fair we ran into a spanish version of Portland's Saturday market, where i didn't buy any of you any gifts, sorry! We also ran into many churches and managed to not get lost. One church we tried to visit had a disproportionate number of people dressed very very well, and long story short i crashed a baptism, if only briefly. (Whoooola!)

While salamanka's plaza mayor usually gets all of the attention, its its 'new' cathedral that really knocked my socks off. I've seen alot of these babies all over Europe, and this one competes with the best


Other highlights of the day included yet another example of what phenomenal foresight Romans had (their bridge is still standing and being used, for 5 times longer than my country has existed) and just spending a whole day wandering the city.
Although Jen and i have different approaches to touristing, we do get along pretty well. She really wants to fit in, and i know that its impossible for me until i find extra wide nikes, tight jeans, and enough jell to make a fo-hawk, an image that should never be in any one's mind nor be posted here. However, people do assume we speak spanish which is certainly a plus, and sometimes a minus!

I'll cruise through the rest of this before it gets too long.

As we came home from salamanka we ran into all of the police buddies playing ping pong, i joined in briefly and then they all left to go to one of their birthday parties, and they invited me! We walked to a restaurant with more screens for watching soccer than their are Os in a spanish announcers exclamation of 'goal' and chatted away (no jennifer on this excursion). Afterward we went to a bar for a drink and since there was a map of spain on the wall, a geography lesson as well. And so i had my first experience drinking alcohol legally in a bar. Rum and coke is great (thanks mas), but it was 5 euros.

And that leads me to one of two rants: goddam dolar and being a pansy just at the time i'm going to spain. Five bucks for a drink is bad enough, but add in exchange rate and 7.50 is just preposterous. Time for us to start kicking economic tooshie- when i jokingly offered to pay for dinner with dollars 'the strongest currency in the world' people laughed at me, for a long time, and then broke out a Moroccan curency and said that that was even stronger than the dollar.

during these evening i was asked many questions about the states, most notably is everyone as beautiful as in the movies, are all colleges like American pie (I answered only Arizona), and is there a shark problem in California. Thank you hollywood, oh so much.

I'll save the rest of my observations for another post before ya'll get bored.

Orienting-without the chineese

This place is perdy.

• Slow day
• up before sunrise (thanks jet lag)
• making aquaintances (thanks soccer, rudy fernandez, and mediocre spanish)
• purchased necesities (cell phones have a very odd system here)
• Went for a grand tour

Outside my window at sunrise:

Today was designated by our organizers pretty much as jet lag recovery day. Not sure if i needed it, but considering i was up before sunrise its probably a good idea. Probably the most excitement came during our attempts at purchasing cell phones. Keep in mind, the system here is completely different from the states and i still am not entirely sure how it works, so trying to figure that out in spanish was loads of fun. Luckily we had Gabriella, the 30 something assistant with us who is fairly bi-lingual. First you go to the Chino, thats right, the chineese store called the every so politically correct Chino and try to buy the cheepest phone you can find. Mine was about 75 bucks US. Then comes the really fun part, you go to the provider store (vodaphone or Orange) and buy a little prepaid cardy thing that actually goes into your phone. We went first to Vodaphone, where we asked for the little cards and they responded "sorry we are all out", "why", "because more chineese than i have seen in my life came in here yestarday and baught them all". our dear chineese friends had cleaned out Vodaphone! So then we went to Orange, where i attempted to translate the terms and agreements of a phone licence, and eventually just signed the papers. I asked, and they know who Dr. Faustus is here too.

All that aside, it was a laid back day of wandering the city. The weather here is like a pleasant Maupin, about 80 with the sun beating down through sparse clouds. The section of the city for townies and that for the tourists melt together, although within the Walls is strictly tourist, and out at the shopping center is strictly locals. The streets are endearingly haphazard, take a look at avila on a map and it looks almost completely random, with some of the most confusingly angled intersections i've ever seen (I almost was run over so they also might have been the last intersectoins i ever saw). All in all, it is a beutiful town, with more history than it can maintain, and a generally happy place. Oh, and those walls, yeh they were not messing around when they built those:

Also, the main cathedral is a central part of the battlements: this baby could take a direct hit from a blockbuster:

I am trying to make friends at meals: hogwards style. Two long tables for the entire school, and when you get there you sit in the closest in open seat, no matter who you'll be sitting next too. So far talking about the states, my being a goaly, and Rudy Fernandez have all been good openers. Hopefully i can find a party or a get together this weekend and meet some more! But best of all my Spanish is good enough.

Arrived

• Got in safe and sound
• Candice (Jenn) is great
  
• Made friends with the kindly old busdriver
• My spanish is more than serviceable for talking with the older generation
• Am endeavoring to find a way to make spanish friends
• Failed at making chineese friends!

If you had to choose one last american meal to clog your arteries for over three months, what would it be? That is a question too difficult for anyone to answer, and so I didn't. I went with texas barbeque and popeyes chicken and biscuits. Thank god for the defib that American carries. I met up with Candace in Dallas Fortworth (where memories begin) and she is avery nice and driven girl. Her conversational spanish and general speaking is still developing, but man has that girl drilled her grammar. Which makes us a great team, because i seem to be able to BS my way through just about any spanish conversation, but only if it doesn't talk about the past or the future!

Immigration and customs were a joke, maybe because of the 100 dollars I paid them...for the visa. And we we promptly spent 2 hours with my so far favorite spanish person, Julian the private busdriver. An avilian born and raised i grilled him for all he could tell me about the town that wasn't touristy, which i think he actually enjoyed. Town gown relationships are good-the bullfights are done for the summer-every drink comes with food no matter what-kids my age seem to prefer mobil parties called mobiles-tourism is way down, but not dead-and that there are discotechs for old people. Feel free to take a momemnt to get that image out of your head before you continue.


The reason we got that quality time with Julian was that our 15 Chinese compatriots were running late. We eventually spent most of the day with them, despite the fact they spoke virtualy no spanish nor english and my chineese ends at Nehow, shu-shu, and ye ye (hellow, thank you, and grandfather). This led to one of the quitest meals i've ever had.

I'm now moved into a rather hot dorm room with its own bathroom and am eagerly waiting to see how i can make some spanish friends. They seem sort of standoffish and confused by Candice and my presents, we'll see how that goes.




Oh and by the way she might be changing her name because spaniards can't say it. Probably to Jen, or Jennifer, and i have no idea where that name came from!

Yeeeeee-haaaaaaaaaw,
Rob

Packing

• Packing-belatedly
• Flight Leaves at 10:45 on September 7th
• Jet Lag is going to suck

The moment is almost upon me. I leave for Avila in under 18 hours, but it still hasn't hit me. Although i have traveled alot, usually i start getting a little antzy this soon, but for some reason i don't feel like i'm leaving yet. I have spread all of my clothes over the floor and made stacks and piles until mom kindly wondered if i could get to my bed, but these landmines have yet to convince me that soon i will have to be speaking in spanish. Which i'm afraid might be a problem, what with it not being my native language. (and that i havn't taken a class in over 2.5 years).


I have also started planning for jetlag. The fact that i have just started means that i don't need to do anything about it, becuase nothing i do now will make a difference. So that will be a bridge to cross later when i'm drowsy and don't understand whats going on. Gotta love bridges.

Wish me luck, i'm heading to Spain whether i feel like it or not!

The Program Details

I will be living and studying in Avila, Spain just outside Madrid courtesy of CET's "confluence of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism" program from September until December 23rd! Did you see how much information i packed into that sentence?

This blog will be for people who want to keep rough track of what i'm doing in spain, see some pictures, and generally keep up with my Spanish adventure.

Avila is a small town of around 60,000 people and is home to two or three smallish universities. I will be living in the dorms and attending classes at the university that specializes in teaching and in tourism (which means they might speak some english :)). Its a pretty cool ancient town, ringed by its amazingly intact medieval wall:




I'll update this post probably weekly and try to keep it short, because lord knows i barely read anyone else's blog!